5 Biggest Mistakes Most Shooters Make

2. The “Bout to Fall Backwards” Stance

This one is so instinctive that almost everyone makes it the first time the hold a firearm. They hold the gun out, lean the weight back over their center of gravity, and use the weight of the gun to balance comfortably.

Whether this is because this is simply the most comfortable way to hold a heavy piece of steel, or they’re anticipating a small explosion in their hands that they want to stay as far away from as possible. Either way, the result is the same.

When the force of the recoil pushes back against their shoulder, it will push them backward over their balance point. Even if the shooter doesn’t fall on his or her butt, they’re definitely not in a stable shooting position.

In the best case scenario, the gun is controlling them and not the other way around. In the worst case, the shooter may lose their balance completely. If they happen to be firing a semi-automatic weapon, look out. A person stumbling with a loaded weapon in hand is not the person you want next to you at the range.

The correction for this is to lean your weight forward into the stock of the rifle or shotgun. When shooting a pistol, keep your weight forward as if you’re expecting the weapon to push you back, which it will.